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Summary: Worth the Climb!
Review: (...)This is one book which all of our (book club) members enjoyed. Ms. Hamilton's writing draws you in to the small middle-eastern village setting where you feel the sun, sand, dust and earnestness of the land and village. She makes you care for the main characters and fascinated by the minor ones. For such a small book, she is able to give you a rich history of their lives which literally brings them to life - from the granddaughter to the great great grandmother. Truly a wonderful book to read which is amazing enhanced by speaking with the author! We highly recommend it!
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Summary: Ancient Customs
Review: Beautifully written coming of age story set before the 1967 war in the ancient village of Ein Fadr, a place in Jordan that had existed since the time of Abraham. Jammana is an intensely emotional child torn between the ancient way of life represented by her mother & her family in Ein Fadr and modern times represented by her father who sees no future for them in the Mid-East and wants to go to America. I was attracted to this book because it seemed to promise insight into a culture I know so little about and it does that, there is an intimate look into the hearts and minds of several of the villagers. There is not much of real plot here though, rather most of this story is a child's memory. After the magic of childhood the ending seems all too realistic and I was quite saddened by what became of Jammana's mother and father after all of it.
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Summary: timely look at women in the Mideast
Review: Former journalist Masha Hamilton's first work of fiction is a fascinating look behind the veil of Islamic women. Set in the time of the Arab/Israeli war, it tells the tale of a psychic, gifted young girl who has to walk the line between a world of tradition and a world of change. Hamiliton does a wonderful job of setting a sense of place and creates dreamy, mesmerizing characters. She also shows how the women--seemingly powerless--exert a strong command over small villages. Although I think the mystery portion of this book was never fully realized, I believe it is a splendid look at how women function and even flourish in a changing, evolving world. I look forward to her next book!
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Summary: A Must Read
Review: I don't ususally trust booksellers or buy books recommended by chain stores. But I picked this one up after reading of it in a brochure, assuming it well be Not for me. The happy surprise is that I loved this book. It is full of well rendered characters and a collective consciousness that is utterly gripping. As a scholar of Middle Eastern non-fiction and as a film producer, I'd love to see this as a movie. It has everything a great novel, or a great movie, must have: Unique characters, compelling plot, surprises of all sorts. A very special consciousness runs throughout "Staircase..." which must reflect on the author, who remains invisible throughout--a rarity with first novels. I look forward to Masha Hamilton's next book, while I continue to savor this, her first. 5 Stars, Fully Earned.
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Summary: All The Reviewers Are Right!!
Review: I had "Staircase of a Thousand Steps" on my night table, about three books down. Seeing the great editorial and customer reviews here, I was skeptical. Could a book be That Good? Yes, I just finished it (in a marathon reading session). It is: That Good. I agree with what all the reviewers, both professional and customers, have said. It has been one of the great reading experiences this year. I teach Middle East Studies here in Vermont and so must read a great deal about the area. But this transcends anything I've read to date because it is true fiction that also gives readers a window onto a distant time and place. Ms. Hamilton is, without question, a superior novelist. Her characters are perfectly created--they come fully alive on the page. Her book is: fascinating, captivating and most of all, intensely moving.
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Summary: Harriet Klausner said it Well; AGREED
Review: I read this book when it first came out in Hardcover. Now in paperback, it has, curiously and wisely, the same cover as the HC, a lovely image. Here, the paper is whiter, the print is handsome and so there's every reason to own it. Also,k there's a new family tree to help readers see clearly how the characters relate, literally, to one another. I just finished re-reading "Staircase" and it is even more beautiful than I recalled. Hamilton is a wordsmith of such rarity that I consider her among the finest living writers. Her language is never ornate, but her word choice makes this book a MUST for anyone trying to write fiction. She knows more about how to tell a story than any first time novelist has a right to know: about plot, about character development, about how to choose the precise and elegant word. People, BUY this book in paperback, it's an exquisite journey, a trip into another world, one that few have access to any longer. TRULY 5 Stars. So glad that the Number One Customer Reviewer, Ms. Klausner posted here. She's obviously a good reader and she loves this book. As did every professional critic. And ditto over here, a voracious reader.
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Summary: insightful look at life in a small ancient Jordan village
Review: In 1966, eleven year old Jammana struggles with her ability to see the memories of the past, as seen through the eyes of others. Currently, she accompanies her mother Rafa on a visit to the latter's hometown of Ein Fadr where the same families can trace their roots to Abraham and Allah's strict rules. Jammana's beloved grandfather Harif also has psychic powers though his talent enables him to see into the future, making him somewhat of an outcast among the villagers frightened by that power. His spouse Faridah is a midwife delicately walking between tradition and independence. As Jammana struggles with her skills, her grandparents tell her tales of long-buried secrets. Meanwhile the confused Jammana alternates between believing she is damned vs. chosen while growing up rather fast when tragedy and betrayal strike. STAIRCASE OF A THOUSAND STEPS is a powerfully insightful look at life in a small ancient Jordanian village. This is not the usual westernized character study as Masha Hamilton's brilliant novel provides insight to a complex society especially the roles of women in what is typically described as simple and servant, but in this novel is much more. Fans of deep glimpses into small village life will fully relish this strong tale starring three generations of tremendously developed characters. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Achingly beautiful
Review: In Staircase of a Thousand Steps, author Masha Hamilton illuminates the lives of the small village of Ein Fadr, in what will become the West Bank. Although it is set just before the 1967 Israeli War, it isn't really a political novel. A reporter for many years in the region, Hamilton gets under the skin of her characters, from 11 year old Jammana, her Grandfather Harif, with whom she shares the gift (and sometimes curse) of seeing visions, to the rebellious midwife Faridah. This is a novel that will stay with you -- that will haunt you. Masha Hamilton is destined to be a major talent. It is a truly amazing novel.
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Summary: The weight of loss under a desert sun
Review: In the small village of Ein Fadr, just before the advent of the 1967 Israeli war, the world has hardly changed for centuries. The villagers live as if their ancestors still walk among them, nothing forgotten in the long history of generations that tread round and round, in the same deliberate path. Jammana wishes to see her grandfather, drawn to him by recurring dream's of her mother's difficult birth. Soon to leave Egypt for America, Rafa, takes her daughter across the desert miles for a last visit. She leaves Jammana in the care of her grandfather, Harif, and her great-aunt Khalah, of the gentle hands, as well as the village midwife, Faridah, who assisted in Rafa's delivery many years ago. The midwife is the one person Jammana secretly wants to question, because Faridah is also in the dream and Jammana had known and loved her all her young life. The very familiarity of Faridah is comforting to the child, her smells, her habits, her gathering of herbs to treat villager's ailments. When Harif's wife dies during her second confinement, Harif is at last free to be with the true and lasting love of his heart. Harif will be ostracized by this union of unequals, so, sacrificing her future, Faridah refuses his offer; they remain dear friends, but never man and wife. Over the years their bonds strengthen, allowing them a closeness that they treasure. But there is trouble brewing in this small village, as the ancestors seem to crowd upon their living relatives, and secrets are uncovered while old hostilities are rekindled. Ein Fadr is beset with petty complaints and jealousies and Harif finds himself accused of duplicity and no longer trusted. But he has troubles of his own, too preoccupied to worry about gossip, as the tension increases. Jammana continues to be haunted by her vivid dreams, anxious for Faridah and her grandfather, confused by the unsettled air of the village, where time passes but nothing changes. Finally, for Harif and Jammana everything changes, as the hot desert sun holds everything motionless in its fierce and unflinching gaze.
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Summary: Palestinians Without Politics
Review: Not only did I love this novel as did many here. But since I study the Middle East in college, it was so wonderful to meet Palestinians without any emphasis on politics. I think that all the political "news" misses the point of ordinary people's lives. So, that is one great thing about "Staircase.." The other is that Nothing here is ordinary. And since I love all kinds of intuitional and psychic stories, especially ones as realistic and fabulistic as this, I give it 5 stars and recommend it highly.
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